Don't panic

[la_rainette]

The girls woke me up at 5:31 am precisely: Tadpole wanted to get up, and Froglet wanted to show me that she was errupting in little blisters too, ack ack ack. I got up and showered, and by the time I was ready Tadpole was conked out on the couch again, and Froglet was whimpering on her bed (ouch my head, ouch my tummy, ouch my blisters, ouch I think I have a splinter).

I have an appointment at the doctor's at 11:15, to find out for sure what it is. Until this morning, I still had some hope it might just be a heat rash, but right now, with BOTH girls sick and covered in tiny blisters -- it sounds suspiciously like chickenpox.

How do I know, you wonder.

Well.


Cordonnier est toujours le plus mal chaussé, goes the saying in French. It means that the shoemaker always wears the worst shoes, and of course, the same applies to many other professions, including that of doctor.

My dad was a doctor, see. He did all my immunizations until I turned 10 and refused to let him approach me with a needle. He used to be a médecin de campagne, touring the coutry roads on his scooter, until he got TB as a young man and was ordered to find an office job somewhere. So he did, and worked the rest of his career as a consultant doctor for the French Sécurité Sociale, i.e. the Public Health in France ;).

So, of course, all information pertaining to my health and vaccinations as a child was kept in his considerable brain, and never got to be on official record anywhere. I believe I've had all childhood diseases, and if the family myths are true, I might have gotten most of them twice. But the only one I really remember is the chickenpox, cos I was 16 when I got it.

One morning, I went over to my dad to show him the funny looking little blister on my chest. What is that, I asked? He reluctantly looked up from his book on Greek democracy, and vaguely remarked, in one of his least impressive brainwaves as a doctor, that it must be the cat: the cat had flees, and it could be a flee bite.

So, despite her intense indignation, we treated the cat against flees. And when the next morning, I showed up COVERED in tiny blisters, my dad sheepishly modified his diagnosis (ahahahahahaha chickenpox aha) and apologized profusely to the cat, offering her a few chosen cat treats. Alas, she was stubborn and decided on her own revenge, which she got a few weeks later when she flung a half-eaten mouse straight into my dad's face and then inocently pretended she was only trying to feed him. Hell hath no fury like a cat scorned and humiliated.

So I know what chickenpox looks like: it looks a lot like what my kids have on their shoulders and backs right now. Actually, Tadpole's very first blister sent clear warning signals to my brain, and it hit me faster than you can say "Leper in the fortress": this might be chickenpox, and why not, after all? These things always happen when Husband is out of town.

However. The good news is, they have it both together. So unlike my friend Carole, whose kids had it one AFTER the other and thus had to stay indoors for 3 weeks, I have a fair chance to be allowed back outside within the next 10 days or so.

The bad news is, since Husband is out of town, I can't go grocery shopping. But then, the good news is, they're sick, thus not hungry, and the food we have should last us until Husband comes back.

I'm trying hard to see the good side of things, see? At least, this time, the chances of getting buried under 20 inches of snow are very remote -- but should it happen, I will file an official complaint with God. It is not fair that these things always happen when I am on my own with the kids, with no-one to help change the sheets when Tadpole vomits in the night and nobody to VENT to.

I have mentioned to the girls that they might have chickenpox, and obviously, this lead to interesting interpretations ("MUM! Tadpole is scratching her chicken pops again!") and no less interesting word associations ("Popsicle? Popsicle! I want a popsicle too!"). :D

I am still hoping that it might be something else that could be cured instantly. *crosses fingers* Doctor's appointment coming up very soon.

ETA: Chickenpox it is. *headthunk*

Comments

[terrylj.livejournal.com]

Aw, rainette. *hugs* It is NEVER something that can be cured instantly.
:( On the positive side, if they have it now, they can get it over with and won't be in danger later, since it's much worse as an adult. (And on that note, has Husband had them? When my friend was 16, she had them, and since her dad had never had them, he had to move out of the house for a week.)

My kids haven't had them--we have new vaccinations that are supposed to immunize them. I am skeptical, as I never believe in anything unless it's been around for 30 or 40 years (i.e., polio vaccine), but so far it seems to have worked.

(ouch my head, ouch my tummy, ouch my blisters, ouch I think I have a splinter).

Hee. This is Danae, every single morning. Some days I tell her, it would be quicker if you listed what parts aren't hurting.

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

I've heard about the vaccination, I'm just not really in favour of it. The way I see things, they will be better immunized if they do it themselves. My doctor apparently made the same decision for his children, which doesn't make me feel that comfortable since he is (still) the moron who took three days to see that my girl had a fractured pinky (X-rays taken on Tuesday, verdict on Friday. And I believe someone else must have pointed the facture out to him, cos he hadn't seen anything.)

Husband seemed remarkably cool and collected on the phone when I talked to him, but didn't say anything about having it as a kid. Huh. Thanks for pointing this out.

And no, you're right, it's never something that can be cured instantly *sighs* but hope springs eternal...

[darthrami.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

My brother got chicken pox first, and gave it to me. And I was apparently so mad at him that I took a red marker and drew spots all over him.

If it helps at all, your package was sent Thursday, so maybe it'll get there soon with something to amuse you, and something to amuse the girls.

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

*dies* that's a good way to retaliate :D I'm just happy they both have it at the same time... (They still end up covered in marker, but it's mostly cos they're drawing stuff ;) )

YAY PACKAGE, thank you! Of course it helps -- It'll be a nice surprise for them. Being cooped up at home is not fun, so getting a package is always a lovely surprise.

[dramawench.livejournal.com]

Ooooo, that stinks! Hopefully, your girls will not be like me, who had to suffer through chicken pox twice - blarg.

Just stock up on the oatmeal baths (which never helped me, but who knows?) and be prepared for very whiny, miserable little ones.

*hugs to your poor girls and to their poor mom*

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

TWICE! Oh, how terrible! Yes, I hope they don't go through it twice -- and blast, I wish I had a way to know for sure whether I went through it twice of not (if I did, I might want to warn them. eh.)

Yeah, I'll try the oatmeal bath -- I just have to be careful cos it makes the bathtub Extra Slippery.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_skye_/]

Aaaaag! AAAAAAH!

This makes me all shivery just THINKING ABOUT IT!

Good luck, good luck, good luck! GOOD LUCK!

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

Thank you. No, you know, it's really not too bad, 'cept for the cabin fever cos we don't get to go out. At least they can play with each other, and it will be over soon, hopefully.

[wonapalei.livejournal.com]

Cordonnier est toujours le plus mal chaussé, goes the saying in French.

Shoemakers' wives go barefoot, and doctors' wives die young, goes the saying in English. :)

Oh, lord, chickenpox. You know who I got it from? My grandfather. Yep, he managed to get shingles, and when we visited India for my first birthday, I picked it up from him. Naturally, I don't remember it, which I think is probably a mercy. I mean, who wants to remember their worst birthday present ever?

Best of luck with your girls! And you can always vent to us while you're cooped up at home. :)

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

*laughs* now, that's unusual! It's a good thing you don't remember it, though, for sure!

thank you for the sayings in English :D

I -- yeah, I might vent. :D But really, I shouldn't complain too much: it's not dangerous, and they're both having it at the same time, i.e. I will be Done soon enough. Hopefully. *crosses fingers*

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness, what a mess for you! Can you order some food to be sent to you somehow? You can order snack type stuff from walgreens.com -- chips and so forth.

Poor sickly kidlets! They were actually on my mind all morning, because I went beach-combing this morning and was thinking of Tadpole's collection of shiny rocks. There were many shiny shells on the beach, so inform your girls that if they behave I will send them a small package of shells and a case to keep them in. If they are VERY good and don't scratch, I will send along the little magic shovel I found (no really -- it's magic, I'll tell you that story at a later date) which helped me find the shells. *grins*

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

*nods* yeah, no, the food shouldn't really be a problem. I have more or less decided that I will order food tonight (we have excellent Greek and Thai restaurants nearby, and several pizza places), so I should be able to manage, and Gilles will be back on Wednesday.

Oh, thank you so much, they will be so pleased! :) I told them (no scratching, and you'll get seashells) and Tadpole replied "but I don't want the crabs!" cos she remembers the Hermit crabs we saw two weeks ago at a birthday party With Animals :D. But shells, you bet!

[bookwench31.livejournal.com]

You are right to find the good in them getting it at the same time. There are three children in my family. I made it all the way to 3rd grade. Surviving massive outbreaks of chickenpox in my classes every year, until one day I started itching. The incubation period is 2 weeks. Exactly two weeks later my brother Matt got them and exactly two weeks after him, John. Of course that put us right into Christmas, the one year Mom's family showed up. *headsdesk* My poor parents. I'm amazed they didn't kill us.

*gives you hugs* At least you can remember for sure that you had them. If you need to vent, I'm here.

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

Oh, GOD! Yes, actually I was almost relieved when I saw that Froglet had it too this morning. My biggest fear was that we might get stuck at home for 3 whole weeks or more.

Thank you, Patty *hugs* I wish I could hang out with you and share that bottle of wine. ;)

[hobbitblue.livejournal.com]

Oh chicken pox is horrible... *passes over bottles of calomine lotion and lots of icecream* Has your husband had it? Because shingles in adults is *really* nasty, my mum ended up with ME having had a bad dose of it, plus it re-triggered her old back problem and she's still not right several years on. So maybe just as well husband is away right now...

*hugs*

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

eeeep, yes. He was very calm when I told him (by which I mean that he didn't go WARGH OMG I'VE NEVER HAD CHICKENPOX), but that doesn't really mean anything. I'll have to ask him, and make sure he's immunized before he hugs his HIGHLY CONTAGEOUS daughters...

[maple-clef.livejournal.com]

Achhh, not fun at all, especially on your own *hugs*

Hope the Doctor had something encouraging to say. Whatever it turns out to be, I hope Froglet and Tadpole get well soon

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

Eh. Classic case of chickenpox. Now I am undecided, should I feel smug cos I out-doctored my dad, or throw myself on the floor and have a tantrum right now? *g*

Wel, we'll survive, I guess. :) I'm ordering Greek food tonight, as a Special Treat, so that should get everyone in a better mood, hopefully.

[raesa.livejournal.com]

ooh poor kiddies!

you are lucky though. i had the chicken pox when i was five, and my brother got them just after i was finally considered healthy enough to interact with people.

to make matters even worse, his showed up right before we were to go to LA to visit my mom's parents. we ended up having to stay in a hotel cause neither of them had had chicken pox and couldn't risk getting sick.

[la-rainette.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Exactly. *shudders* It happened to a friend of mine, to, which is why I am glad that they both have it...

Well, thos of you who weren't sick could still go out, right? Still, Now I know of another thing I should really be grateful for: at least, we are at home, with toys to play with, books to read and movies to watch.